Under-garment



(No Model.)

J. T. BRODNAX. UNDER GARMENT.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented May 20, 1890.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Orricn.

JOHN T. BRODNAX, OF NEl/V ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

' UNDER-GARMENT.

SPEOEFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,375, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed November 16, 1889. Serial No.330,620. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. BRODNAX, of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Re-enforcements and Suspender Attachments for Shirts and Vests, of which the following is a specification.

I apply a re-enforce to the fronts and backs of all kinds of vests and shirts, more especially dress or bosom shirts, in such manner as not only to greatly increase the strength and durability of the same, but also to provide pockets or passages in which suspenders are covered and concealed, while having all required freedom of lateral movement.

The improvement is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing my invention applied to the front and back of a shirt, (on a human figure.) Figs. 3 and L are plan views of the front and back re-enforcements. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the re-enforcements united at the top. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the suspenders. Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a modification of the back re-enforce or yoke. Fig. 8 is a View illustrating a modification of the back suspender attachment. Fig. 9 is a plan View showing the inside and outside (or back and front) of a vest to which my improvement is applied.

As shown in Fig. 1, the front re-enforcements at of the shirt consist of pieces of fabric, (preferably of the same kind as the body of the garment,) which are arranged one on each side of the bosom Z), and extend laterally from the latter to the armhole and vertically from the top of the shoulder to apoint nearly in horizontal alignment with the bottom of the bosom. Each re-enforcing piece a is stitched to the bosom along the inner side edge 1 of the latter and to the body of the shirt along the outer edge of the re-enforcement on a slightly-curved line 2. A short row of stitches 3 extends from each armhole inward and upward toward the neckband at a slight angle,for a purpose hereinafter stated. Thus the re-enforcement-s a are left free or unattached to the shirt proper at all other points save where stitched on the lines 1 2 3, as above described, so that apassage or pocket is formed between the body of the shirt and -reccive the suspenders cl (Z.

each re-enforcement a, which extends from end to end of the latter.

The re-enforcem out a, Figs. 2 and 4, applied to the back of the shirt, is in the nature of and may be appropriately designated a yoke. It extends entirely across the shoulders from armhole to armhole and narrows downward on curved lines 4 to its termination about the middle of the length of the shirt. It is stitched to the body of the shirt along said curved lines 4, and also to the top edge of the front re-enforcements a, (see Fig. 5,) but is unattached at any other point. Thus the passages or pockets beneath the front re-enforcements a are continuous with those beneath the yoke a, the purpose of which is to The latter are shown arranged in said passages in Figs. 1 and 2 and detached in Fig. 6. It will be noted that the suspenders cl are formed of two shoulder straps or pieces joined to a single back strap or piece.

The'short oblique row of stitches 3, before referred to, narrows the upper portion of the passages beneath the front re-enforcements a, and the passages beneath the yoke 01/ are also narrowed by the rows of stitching 5, (see Fig. 2,) so that the suspenders are prevented from moving laterally and thus getting out of place on the shoulders. On the other hand, the lower portion of the passages being widened, as shown, allows free lateral movement of the lower portion of the suspenders, as required for comfort of the wearer.

The attachments for connecting the suspenders to pants may be varied. For example, I propose to employ one or two cords extending part way around the body of the wearer and passing through rings or loops detachably attached to the suspenders proper; but in this instance I show a single cord d, and on the back I may use a spring-bar having a cord attached to each end, as shown in Fig. SI Instead of this bar, I may use an elastic cord having suitable button-hole tabs. A button e is shown attached at the bottom of the re-enfore'ements a, and a to the body of the shirt, and the re-enforcements are provided with button-holes to receive said buttons.

The Suspender-straps (1 connect with the suspenders proper at points above the but- IOC tons e, so that the shirt is held down by said suspenders when in use.

In Fig. 7 I show the lower portion of the yoke a shortened and the single back-strap of the suspenders passing through the opening at the bottom of it. In Fig. 9 I show a vest provided in front and rear with re-enforcelnents a a, which are attached to the inner side of the lining, and therefore lie between the latter and the body (outer portions) of the vest. The lining is provided with transverse slits or openings at points opposite the lower ends of the re-enforcements a 0., to permit insertion and withdrawal of the suspenders d and to provide due space for the suspender attachments to work in.

In case a shirt or vest having the re-enforcements a, a is used with long-waisted pants, openings may be made in the former to allow the suspender attachments d to pass through at points above the waistband of the pants.

WVhile I prefer the -construction and arrangement of the parts a a above described, I may make them in one piece extending from middle of the back of a shirt over the shoulders and down to the lower end of the bosom in front; or the two parts a a may be united in the middle of the back, instead of being united on the shoulder, as in Fig. 5. This construction would be especially applicable to shirts that are open in the back.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with an under-garment,

of re-enforeements applied to the front on each side, and the yoke hereinbefore described,

which is applied to the back of said under garment and extends across the shoulders, narrowing thence downward to its termination near the middle of the back of the shirt, the said re-enforcements and yoke being stitched to each other at the top and to the body of the garment along their side edges and left free or unattached to the body of the garment at other points, as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a dress-shirt, of the front re-enforcements and the yoke applied to the back, the same consisting of pieces of fabric which are united at the shoulder and stitched to the body of the shirt along lines converging-from the bottom upward, thereby forming passages (for the suspenders) which are narrowest on the shoulder, as shown and described.

3. The combination, with an undergarment having re-enforcements consisting of pieces of fabric stitched to the same along their side edges and provided with button-holes, of buttons attached to the body of the under-garment and suspenders arranged in the passages formed between the said re-enforcements-and body of the garment, and the diverging straps or cord attachments of said suspenders, between which the buttons serve to secure the re-enforcements, as and for the purpose specified.

JNO. T. BRODNAX.

\Vitnesses:

T. J. BRODNAX, J AMES DURNO. 

